Via Dolorosa

On Sunday a group of us decided to go into the old city to Mass at the Armenian Catholic Church which is on the Via Dolorosa at the third station. Afterwards we went for coffee and strudel at the Austrian Hospice (really an accommodation place and not a Hospice as we know it).  Some of us then walked round the Stations of the Cross on the Via Dolorosa (the Sorrowful Way) in Old Jerusalem. After lunch Steve left the girls to go shopping!

Armenian Catholic Church where we went to Mass

The 4th Station... Jesus meets his Mother - in the crypt below the church 

The Fifth Station - Simon of Cyrene helps carry Jesus' cross

The sixth station - Veronica wipes the face of Jesus - The name Veronica means true icon - the true follower of Jesus is the one who shows compassion

Disappointment and Discovery

Today we were supposed to go to the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock. Sadly, however, the Muslims were not allowing Non-Muslims in and so it was not possible. Maybe it was connected with the troubles that have been occurring in Gaza but no reason was given.
So instead a number of went to the Israel Museum. There was a wonderful section of Jewish Life and we enjoyed visiting the archeological section even though we had thought we had seen enough archeological sites. What we saw in the museum were some of original structures as well as many artifacts of the places we had visited. It was like the icing on the cake. We had been to Qumran so seeing some of the actual scrolls in the museum was special.

Leona and Jan at the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit

The magnificent model of the second Temple and ancient Jerusalem before the Romans destroyed it in the year 70

Examples of Torah scrolls. A feature of every synagogue the Torah (the first five books of the Bible) are always written on a scroll rather than in a book.

A booth from the Festival of Booths or Tents

The fifth season of excavations at the Beersheba uncovered these stones of a large horned altar. This structure had been destroyed in the late 8th century BCE, probably as part of the reforms of King Hezekiah and his suppression of shrines outside Jerusalem described in 2 Kings 18.

The Holy of Holies from Tel Arad - they are not sure what its purpose was

The original Pilate (Pilatus) inscription from Caesarea Philippi.

A cornerstone from the Temple

Shabbat shalom

Shabbat shalom literally means "peaceful sabbath" in Hebrew... This is the standard greeting between Jews on Shabbat, from sundown on Friday until sundown on Saturday.

Shalom is a common greeting which wishes peace, completeness or wholeness.

The Shabbat or Sabbath, the seventh day of the week for the Jewish calendar is a day off for spiritual growth and renewal. It begins on Friday at sundown and ending on Saturday evening when three stars appear in the sky and can be viewed together.
Our day began with two lectures, the first was our second lecture by Debbie Weissman on Judaism and she talked about the Jewish feasts and calendars. We then had a lecture on Zionism, the movement that started in the late 1800s that called for a homeland for the Jews.

In the evening six of us went to Debbie's synagogue for the Sabbath service... a wonderful experience.

Wildlife and not so wildlife

A nutria, check out the feet

 

A Syrian woodpecker

 

Tristram's Grackles... mouths open with the 44 degree heat on Masada

 

A couple of desert birds at Tel Mamshit.... lunch is on below

 

We refuse to be enemies

This was a day with a difference and away from archeological sites. It was looking at the people and the human story of people living in this land. We went to Hebron, a city of significance for Jews, Christians and Muslims for it is there the great patriarchs and matriarchs are buried, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah and Jacob and Leah.
With such religious significance it is not surprising that Hebron today is a city of division between the Jewish people and Muslims. There are no Christians living there. After getting through security we began by visiting the Ibrahim Mosque. The mosque holds the traditional burial sites of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs (apart from Rachel whose tomb is close to Tantur). Following a mass shooting there in 1994, when 29 Muslim worshippers were killed and 125 were wounded, part of the mosque is now divided off for a synagogue.

The bottom part of the mosque with the big column like walls, the photo below shows it better, was built by Herod the Great around 2000 years ago

Embracing Islam

The markers for the tombs of Isaac (left) and Rebekah (right). The actual tombs are in the caves below the mosque. 

The marker for the tomb of Abraham - note the bullet proof glass and window - that is the synagogue side of Abraham's tomb

Then we were met by a group of observers from the WCC who live in Hebron and monitor the situation as well as being a presence especially for the Palestinian Moslems. With a strong Orthodox Jewish presence and Settlers who resent the presence of Palestinians there is often great tension. We walked along Shuhada Street (means Street of the Martyrs). It is a divided street where Israelis and Palestinians cannot walk together. All buildings and businesses are closed and not allowed to be lived in. Sad stories. Military presence and checkpoints abound. We were allowed to walk though but were observed closely. We heard sad stories and got a sense of the pain the people live with daily.

Palestinians are only allowed to walk on the left of the street behind the barrier. They may not drive on the road, nor walk on the right hand side of the road.

The sign speaks for itself - but from the Jewish settlers' perspective... What the sign does not say is that Oslo Accord has not been honoured. Nor does it mention the number of Palestinians killed

Again - the Jewish settlers' persepctive

Jewish settlers are often extremist... Here the hope is expressed that the Jewish Temple be rebuilt in their life time... the only problem is that there is a mosque there - the third most holy site in Islam!

Even though Hebron is on the West Bank and the Palestinian Territories the presence of the 600 settlers means a strong army presence - soldiers and checkpoints everywhere

We then went through the checkpoint to the Palestinian side where we walked through the Souk, the market, and then to lunch in a Palestinian house. They served us well and the little girls had their part to play too. The women are part of a cooperative and they produce and sell in the market.

Through the check point into the Souk, the market...

Palestinian graffiti

 

In the market - note the covering above. This is because Jewish settlers pelt the Palestinians below with bottles, rocks and rubbish. The worse thing is when acid is thrown

Lunch with a Muslim family...

 

Leaving the Souk we again had to go through a checkpoint and through the kids wanting up to buy trinkets...

The boy was one of many trying to sell us braclets... We went through the gap in the fence in from of him and the soldier stopped him... "Go home," he told the boy. The boy replied in Hebrew, "You go home!"

From there to a Palestinian family who have been fighting to remain on their land. They haveland documents going back to 1917 to the days of the Ottoman Turk Empire, from the days of British Mandate, from when they were in Jordan and Israeli papers following the 1967 War. But for the past 12 years they have been fighting a legal battle to stop being evicted. It started off in the Military Court - all West Bank Palestinian cases are heard in the Military Court. Now it has gone to the Supreme Court. There electricity and water have been cut off. They are have been told they are not allowed to cultivate their land. They have been threatened by neighbouring settlers at gun point and their olive trees have been cut down. Yet they refuse to be enemies and have established what they call the Tent of Nations a place where people can advance the ways of peace and respect the land.

The settlers and army have blocked the road - for security resaons! 

The water has been cut so a bigger cistern is being dug to catch the spring and autumn rains.

They are refused permission to build so they use caves

Why the land is wanted... it is surrounded by six settlements like this... they have road access, power, electricity, security...

Read the rock!